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Published: March 25th 2007
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Follow the Footprints...
This is part of the Abel Tasman Track, one of the most famous coastal tracks in the country. Gee, I wonder why? Hmmm, where to begin? Where to begin indeed. Well, I just got to Queenstown yesterday, and I've spent the past week or so at Franz Josef and Wanaka. Basically, I drank a lot of beer, did a lot of hiking, saw a glacier in a rain forest, and just chilled out a while. Before that, I was in Greymouth checking out the Monteith's Brewery Tour. Did I mention I had a lot of beer?
But let's start off with Abel Tasman National Park. I was here a couple of weeks ago, and the place is just amazing! Blue-green waters and terracotta beaches run into lush forests and mountains. Need I say more? I completed two-thirds of the Abel Tasman Coastal Track (one of New Zealand's Great Walks) via aqua taxis, getting dropped off at Torrent Bay and walking to Marahau the first day, and then getting dropped off at Awaroa and hiking to Torrent Bay the next. What's really neat about the walk is that you have to do part of it at low tide, so you go from walking on a dirt path to a sandy beach, and back. It's a Great Walk indeed, and it makes me
wish that I had travelled NZ by car instead of by bus. But more on that later...
After stopping at Greymouth briefly and drinking my face off at the Monteith's Brewery, I went to see the Franz Josef Glacier. This is the fastest moving glacier in the world; it moves about one foot-per-day, AND it's smack-dab in the middle of a rain forest! Fucking cool! Apparently, there are only three rain forest glaciers in the world, and two are in New Zealand. The other one is Fox Glacier, which is only 29km away from Franz Josef. Unfortunately, I never made it there as accommodation was full. Shit!
Anyway, I did a glacier hike while at Franz Josef and I asked the guide so many questions he must've thought he was teaching grade school! He told me that the glacier basically stays the same size, despite all the runoff and the speed it moves at. This is due to all the rainfall; what's rain at the bottom of the mountain is snow at the top, and they get about 30 meters of snow each year up there. So yeah, it melts a lot but it also gets a ton
Killer Dolphins at Abel Tasman National Park
OK, they're Orcas. But they are members of the dolphin family, so I can't call them killer whales anymore, now can I? of snow, so basically it breaks even.
Another interesting thing about this glacier are the 'ice waves' on them. At least that's what I call them, because that's what they look like to me. Imagine a blue, turbulent sea with giant waves frozen in time, then put it on an incline, and you might get an idea of what I'm talking about. Or just look at my pictures. Whatever turns your crank.
The guide told me how these waves are formed, but
glaciers.co.nz explains it better than he or I can:
"The glaciers flow over large bedrock steps on the valley floors. This causes the ice to extend and break up, forming steep icefalls that are mazes of crevasses and pinnacles of ice." Everybody got that? Good, the test is on Thursday!
My most recent stop was in Wanaka, a laid back little town in Mt. Aspiring National Park. The town is named after the lake it resides on (the 2nd biggest lake in NZ), and it has one of the most scenic views of any place I've ever been to. It's surrounded by mountains, some snow-capped, some forested, some bare, and when the night is clear the
I Feel Speciaaaalll!
Helmets make me look cool... NOT! Stupid NZ government, with their stupid rules and regulations! stars burn brightly. By the way, the stars here are much different than the ones in the Northern Hemisphere; you can see the Southern Cross and Milky Way. In fact, the only constellation I recognize from the Northern Hemisphere is Orion.
Wanaka is a nice place to just relax. Going to the movies is like watching a movie in the basement of a friend's house: it's loaded with comfy old furniture. There's even an old Beatle to sit in for those reminiscent of drive-thru's. Plus, the restaurant that runs the place sells freshly baked, giant cookies during the intermission - tasty! Wanaka is also home to Puzzling World, where you can mercilessly torture yourself trying to solve a number of puzzles and get through their maze. There's a number of hikes around the place, and the lake is good for swimming. It's probably my favorite town in NZ thus far. My only beef about it is the how much it costs to get to get to other nearby areas from here. If I remember correctly, the cost to go to Mt Aspiring for a day is about $28 - one way! ONE WAY! Mt. Aspiring's only about an hour
Center of New Zealand
This pointy thing commemorates the center of New Zealand. Yee-ha! away and is about a 5-6 hour hike, so I'd be looking at $56 to briefly check out that area for 8 hours. Maybe it's my cheap Dutchman bloodlines, but fuck that!
This is why I wish I could've traveled NZ by car - I could do these things so much easier! Currently, I have to pick and choose what I do somewhat carefully so I don't blow all my cash. But if I had a car, I could easily drive to Mt. Aspiring for a day and come back to Wanaka - that wouldn't cost much at all! I could also easily do one of the country's Great Walks from start to finish. Park the car at one end of the trail, get a ride to the other, then hoof it back. Easy!
I shouldn't complain - I've managed to do quite a lot already. Besides, buying a car's really a two-person commitment unless you're confident you can pick up lots hitchhiking travelers who will pitch in for gas every time. And if you don't have a buyer lined up for your car before you leave, well, you may lose a lot of money!
Still though,
The Centre of New Zealand
See, it's got a plaque and everything! I think a car is the way to go. I'm tired of jumping off the bus and having a half-hour to see a site, then jumping back on. I'm tired of paying extraordinary prices just to get a short ride to and from town. Consider the lesson learned! If I ever get to come back to NZ (God willing!) rest assured, I will be driving all over this sum'bitch and stopping at all the things I want, for as long as I want to! Put that in your pipe and smoke it, world!
Peace out, bitches!
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Charles
non-member comment
4 nil!!!!!
I am in Costa Rica and just watched New Zealand get a soccer kickn. I hope they do better in Rugby.